


The Gold Motel: The Truth

by mrgoldsdearie



Series: The Gold Motel [11]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Horror, Smut, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:46:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5164340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrgoldsdearie/pseuds/mrgoldsdearie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumbelle AU inspired by the movie Psycho - Belle tells Norman about sleeping with Robert and it opens the path for more secrets being revealed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gold Motel: The Truth

**Author's Note:**

> I cried the whole time writing this. I’m not going to say “happy reading” this time. I’m just going to hand out tissues. *sits out giant tissue box*

Norman Gold checks in one customer after another, filling up each room of the motel, with the exception of cabin eleven. Eleven is the room where his family was tortured and the room these serial tourist really want to stay, but Norman isn't going to feed into their strange desires. They wouldn't be staying here at all if it wasn't for Belle.

“You'll b-b-be staying in r-r-room four.” Norman hands the last customer a room key.

“Thanks.” The man takes the key in hand. “Oh… What’s the WiFi password?”, he asks.

“Just a m-m-moment.” Norman picks up the phone to call Belle. He can't remember the password to save his life. “Belle,” he says once she picks up the phone.

“Yes, Sweetie,” she answers on the line.

“W-w-what the WiFi password?”

The man stares at Norman, puzzled.  

Belle giggles into the phone. She thinks it’s adorable how he called just to ask about the password. “Did you forget, Sweetie? We set it up together.”

“You s-s-set it up. I just watched.”

“That's true.”

“Please, D-d-dearie, the password. So I can ch-ch-charge this customer for it.”

“Hold on,” the customer intervenes. “Your sign out front says WiFi is free.”

“Just a sec-second, my love.” Norman moves the phone from his ear. “Yes, the WiFi is f-f-free,” he answers the man, standing up straight. “Free for customers who didn't flock here to leech off of my family’s trauma,” he speaks fast and clearly. Norman still hates the idea of them staying, but charging them double for the rooms and putting a charge on services that are usually free, does make him feel a little better about it. At least his wallet is swelling in all of this. “Now, w-w-would you like the password or not.”

The man nods. He can't live without an internet connection.

“That w-w-will be five d-d-dollars.” Norman holds out his hand and the man places five ones into his palm, then Norman puts the phone back up to his ear. “The p-p-password, my love,” he speaks softly.

“Sounds like you're really taking charge down there,” Belle says on the line. “It's very sexy.”

He knows she's trying to make him blush, but he isn't going to in front of this vulture. “The p-p-password, my love,” he repeats. Needing to get this customer out of his office.

“I see you're in a rush.”

“Yes.” He nods.

“Alright. It's father with a capital F.”

“Th-th-thank you, my dear. I'll s-s-see you in a moment.”

“Okay, Sweetie. Bye.”

Norman hangs up the phone, rips off a corner from one of the pages of the sign-in book and scribbles down the password for the customer. “Enjoy your st-stay.” He slides him the note.

“Thanks.” The man snatches up the paper and scurries out of the office.

Norman then picks up the phone and calls his wife again.

“Hello?”

“I'm coming b-b-back to the house.”

“Alright, Norman.”

“I'm leaving a n-n-note on the office d-d-door with the number to the house. I'm not sitting d-d-down here all day for them. If they need anything, th-th-they can call me at the house.”

“Okay, that sounds like a good idea.”

“I'm on m-m-my way up.”

“See you in a minute.”

Norman quickly scrawls down another note with the number to the house. If the customer can't read it, it's not his problem. He rips off a piece of tape and tapes the note on the window, then exits the office, locking the door behind him.

**_____**

Norman enters the house and finds his wife sitting on the living room couch with two bowls of cereal resting on the coffee table.

“I couldn't get that look on your face out of my head when I said I would cook for you yesterday. So, I made you something I didn't have to cook.”

“Belle.” He steps into the living room. “I'm n-n-not afraid of your cooking.”

“Yes you are.” She pats her right hand on the couch cushion.

“No. I'm n-n-not.” He smiles, taking the seat next to her and she hands him the bowl of Pirate Puff Cereal with crocodile shaped marshmallows. One of Norman's absolute favorites. “Thank you, Belle.”

“Your welcome.” She takes a spoon full of the cereal into her mouth, trying to think of the best way to tell Norman of what she's done.

“The first time I had th-th-this cereal, Malcolm picked it up at the s-s-store on accident. The old b-b-bastard was drunk out of his m-m-mind.” Norman shares a little story about his childhood. The memory just popped into his mind. “When we br-brought it home, he realized what he h-h-had bought and he s-s-said I could have the whole box.” Norman smiles. He doesn't share many of these thoughts with his wife, but now things are changing between them and he wants her to know everything. He's never said much before because he hated that time in his life. “I was s-s-so happy when he said I could have it. I ate the entire b-b-box in one day.”

“Oh, Norman.” She places her bowl back on the coffee table and rests her head on his shoulder, wrapping her right around his back. “Do you know what I think about when you tell me things like this?”

“No, what d-d-do you think about?”

“I think about hugging that little boy and taking his hand, taking him away from this place.”

“You d-d-do?”

“Yes, Norman.” She wraps both arms around him, squeezing him tighter. “Malcolm had no right raising a child. He had no right at all.”

“No, he r-r-really didn't.” He kisses Belle’s head and continues eating the cereal. “I still h-h-hate him to this day. Is th-th-that wrong?”

“No, Norman, it isn't.” Belle picks up her bowl, continuing to eat as well and a silence falls between them. It isn't an awkward silence, not for Norman at least. “Sweetie?”

“Yes, Belle,” he answers with a mouth full.

“I still have to tell you something.”

“I know you d-d-do.” Sits his bowl down on the table and takes Belle’s hand. “Whatever it is, it s-s-seems important and I have a f-f-feeling that I’m not g-g-going to like it.”

Belle’s heart sinks to the pit of her stomach. She has built up the strength to tell him the truth and she isn't looking forward to his reaction. “You're right. You’re not going to like it.” A tear falls from her eye.

“Belle.” He wipes her tear. “D-d-don’t tell me,” he whimpers. “I d-d-don’t want to know.”

“You have to know, Norman. I need to tell you what we did. I can’t hide it. I don’t want to hide anything from you anymore.”

“What you d-d-did?” Norman’s heart slams rapidly against his chest. He doesn't want to hear it, but he knows going too.

“Robert and I…” She sniffs and looks away from Norman, biting her bottom lip. “We… umm…” Squeezes his hand and looks him in the eye. He deserves to see her face when she says it. “We… we had sex,” she finally confesses. It took every fiber of her being, but she did it.

Norman stares at her, blankly, without a breath in his chest and his hand slowly constricts around hers.

“Norman?” She slips her hand out of his grip. It was beginning to hurt. “Norman, Sweetie, talk to me.”

His chest moves as he takes a breath. Her words haven’t killed him.

“Norman.” She cups his cheek. “Norman, I’m sorry.”

Her words keep playing in his head like a broken record.  _We had sex._  Over and over and over.

“Norman, talk to me,” she pleads.

“Were you r-r-really that upset with me?”, he mumbles. His voice is so low, it's almost incoherent.

“What?” She leans in closer to him.

“You were r-r-really that angry that you had to s-s-sleep with Papa to get b-b-back at me?” His voice is much clearer, but it isn't any louder.  “To break my heart.” The stutter disappears. “Is that what you did?”

“No, Norman.” She shakes her head. “That's not what I did.”

He tilts his head to the right, gawking back at her, perplexed. “Well what did you do? What did you do, Belle?”

“I didn't do it to get back at you. I love you. I… I did it for me,” she confesses, licking her lips. “After that whole mess with the Mendel's I was afraid, lonely and numb, but mostly afraid. I've never been so scared in my life, Norman.” She wipes away tears. “I needed to feel something other than fear and Robert was there. He shares your face and I missed you so much,” she pauses and takes a deep breath. Pouring her heart out to her husband like this, is one of the hardest things she's ever done. “He talked me out of it and we didn't do anything then, but the next morning I still had those horrible feeling running through me and the images of what happened to us and I needed to forget. I needed to forget, even if it was just for a moment, I needed them to go away.”

“It was your idea?” His voice wobbles and his lips quivers as he speaks.

She swallows hard and nods her head. “Yes.”

“I don't… I-I-I d-d-don't know w-w-what to s-s-say.” His stutter returns, thicker than it's ever been.

“Say anything, Sweetie. Tell me how you feel.” She cups his cheek.

“D-d-don't t-t-touch m-m-me.” He scoots away from her.

“Okay.” She quickly takes her hand back. “I won't. I’m sorry.”

“H-h-how c-c-could you d-d-do th-th-that?” He breaths heavily. Feeling as if all the air in the house is being sucked out and that the walls are closing in on him. Norman has never felt so claustrophobic.

“I… I don't know. I slept… I slept with you, Norman.” She tries to make sense of the situation the best way she knows how.

“N-n-no y-y-you d-d-didn't.”

“Yes, I did. I… I slept with the other part of you.”

Norman’s eyes widen and his entire body trembles with anger and fear. “How can you s-s-say say that?” He snaps at her for the first time since she's confessed. “I'm not P-p-papa. I'm not him!”

Belle gasps and flinches back in the couch.

“I'm not a controlling demented killer,” Norman snarls through his teeth. How can her lips even form that sentence? “He may have saved you from those people, but he enjoyed killing them.”

“Norman, please calm down.”

“Don't I have a right to be angry?”

“Yes, you do.”

“Then let me be angry.”

Belle lowers her head and cries in her hands.

Norman takes deep breaths with his right hand over this thumping heart. This is really happening. “My heart is b-b-breaking, Belle,” he mutters. “Can you hear it?”

She looks up at him, wiping more tears from her eyes. “Yes,” she answers softly. 

“It h-h-hurts.”

Belle jumps up from her seat and drapes her arms tightly around him. She couldn't just sit there any longer.  

“I t-t-told you n-n-not to t-t-touch me, Belle.” Wraps his arms around her. “Why ar-are you t-t-touching me?” Buries his face into her neck.

“You needed a hug.” She holds him securely.

“Thank you,” he murmurs in the side of her warm neck. Her arms around him is still the greatest feeling. “Belle?”

“Yes, Sweetie?”

He lifts his head and gazes into her teary eyes. “I'm g-g-going t-t-to call Dr. Hopper.”

“Yes.” She nods agreeingly. “I think that's best.”

##  *********

 

Three days has passed since Belle told her husband about sleeping with his second personality and the atmosphere in the Gold’s house hasn't been the same. Norman and Belle still share the same bed, but they haven't spoken much in the last few days. Any conversation between them is always focused on taking care of their daughter. They're waiting, and hoping, to work out their issues while they're sitting in the chairs of Dr. Hopper’s office.

Business at the motel is still booming. Customers check in to stay at the last place where the Unholy Killers have struck. Norman is getting fed up with the customers, seeing them as a constant reminder of what his wife has done. If these killers didn't come and terrorize his family, Belle most likely wouldn't have slept with Robert. Norman is trying to think of someone else to blame, but he just keeps going back to blaming himself.

Today is the day Norman and Belle have their appointment with the good doctor. It's also the day, Robert Gold returns.

**\-----**

Norman and Baelee are sitting on the floor of the office parlor. Spending time together as he keeps an eye on the motel and waiting for Belle to return home from shopping. With the extra money they're making from the customers, she decided to get Baelee a brand new wardrobe and have a bit of time to herself.

“Th-th-that block isn't g-g-going to fit in there, Bae.” He gently take the yellow block from her and shows her the correct place for it on her puzzle ball. “See, Sweet Pea, the block g-g-goes into the square.”

She takes back her block and forces it into the star shaped hole.

Norman chuckles and kisses the crown of her head. “You’ll g-g-get it soon, baby girl.” He stands and turns on the no vacancy light on the street sign. He forgot to turn it on when the last room was filled today.

His body freezes after flicking on the switch and he gapes at the wall, breathing calmly.

“Well isn't that new.” Robert Gold's voice escapes from Norman's lips. “We’ve never used that sign for it's intended purpose.”

Norman ignores his papa and returns to the baby, sitting on the floor next to her. 

Robert stands from the floor and sits on the couch. “Don't you think that’s funny, son? After all these years, you get to turn it on for the first time.”

Norman slides off the couch, plopping down on the floor, and scoots next to the baby girl. He ignores Robert once again and picks up his daughter, resting her in his lap. “D-d-daddy loves you, Bae.” He kisses her plump little cheek.

“Huh,” Robert huffs and turns his head away from the child. “She told you, didn't she?”

Norman buries his nose into Baelee's tight curls and breaths in the scent of her bubble gum shampoo.

“I see what your doing. Stop hiding behind, Nugget.”

Norman quickly spins around on the linoleum floor and faces the couch. Baelee laughs from her little rush of dizziness. “I d-d-don't have to hide b-b-behind my daughter,” he finally answers back.

“Then talk to me, dammit!”

“And I d-d-don't have to t-t-talk to you either.”

Robert rests the baby on the floor and climbs up on the couch. “I'm sorry for raising my voice at you, son, but you know I hate it when you ignore me.”

“Of c-c-course I know you h-h-hate it. That’s why I d-d-do it.” He hasty stands and swoops up the baby girl from the floor. “You knew she told me.” He points at the empty couch and his eyes quickly fill with heartache over what they've done. “And you knew about our appointment today. That's why you showed up all of a sudden.” He holds his daughter securely on his hip. “You better come tonight,” Norman roars, storming out of the office. “You better fucking be there!”

**\-----**

Norman knocks on the door to Dr. Hopper’s apartment and he answers for their 5 o'clock therapy session.

“Come in,” Hopper welcomes them into his home.

“Thank you, doctor.” Belle steps in, holding her sleeping daughter.

“If you'd like, you are more than welcomed to lay her in my bedroom.”

“Thank you, doctor. I will take your offer.”

“My room is just at the end of the hall,” he says politely and closes the door to the apartment. “Norman, it's nice to see you again.”

“Yes.” Norman nods and takes his seat at the couch.

Dr. Hopper sits next to Norman in his arm chair and his dog Pongo joins him by his side. They all wait quietly for Belle to join them.

Moments later, Belle exits from the doctor’s room, leaving the door cracked open to hear the baby if she cries, and takes a seat next to her husband.

“Great, everyone is here.” Hopper starts the session.

“Everyone isn't h-h-here,” Norman mumbles.

“Oh… Who else are we waiting for?”

“Papa,” Norman answers.

“Papa?” Hopper folds his hands. “I had no prior knowledge that he was back. We haven't had a proper secession in almost two years, Norman.”

“His name is Robert now,” Belle adds.

“Oh… He's also established a name for himself? Interesting.” He sits back in the chair. “If you don't mind, Norman, we can start the session until Robert decides to join us.”

“No. I d-d-don't mind.”

“Good.” He smiles at the couple. “How is everyone?”

The room stands in an awkward silence.

“How about you both describe how you're feeling using only one word.” He looks to Norman. “We can start with you.”

Norman turns his head to Belle then back at the doctor. “Heartbroken,” he answers honestly.

“And you, Belle?”

She opens her mouth but words do not follow.

“It's okay, Belle. Anything that's said here, stays between us.” The doctor assures her.

“Exhausted,” she's says.

“Exhausted.” He nods. “I see and, and what's making you feel exhausted?”

“Crying.” Her hands tremble as she reaches for a tissue on the coffee table. “I miss my husband.”

“I m-m-miss my wife.”

“We're going to do everything to get you back together.” Dr. Hopper spend the first part of the session discussing the time he met Norman at the diner and why he was hostile that day.

Norman tells the doctor the truth about meeting Neal and how the likeness of his father on Neal's face struck the fear of the abused child, that he used to be, back into his heart. That was an extremely emotional day for Norman and accepting Neal's appearance was tough for him.

“Were you able to start a relationship with your new son?” The doctor asks.

“Yes,” Norman answers softly with a nod.

“That's very good, Norman, and you were able to do that all on your own. You've taken some huge steps in your life and you've made those choices to take those steps. Not Belle, not Robert, but you.” Hopper picks up his black leather binder resting on the table and writes down a few notes. “Belle, do you see these choices he's made? Do you understand how hard they were for him?”

“Yes, I've seen them and I know how hard they were. I've seen it on his face.” She dries her eyes.

“Did you acknowledge them?”

“Yes,” she sniffs. “I think so.”

“But you're not sure.”

“This is bullshit,” Robert finally surfaces, making his appearance late to the session. “This is all bullshit.” Crosses his right leg over the left.

“It's nice of you to join us, Robert.” The doctor welcome him.

“Don't give me that shit,” he snaps.

“What  _shit_  am I giving you, Robert?” Hopper adjusts the glasses on his face.

“The shit that you care. You don't care about Belle. All you’re doing is making her cry.” Robert sits back in the couch. “Pompous prick,” he mumbles under his breath.

“You're wrong about that, Robert. I do care about Belle and she's crying because she's hurting. She has to let out these emotions. So that Norman, and you, know how she feels.”

“I know how she feels and I know what would fix this whole mess.” He learns towards the doctor, lowering his brow. “She doesn't need you,” he growls.

“And what would fix everything?” Hopper questions.

“Norman just needs to get his head outta his ass.”

Norman's eyes widen, taking in a sharp breath as he flinches back in the seat. “I d-d-don't have my head up m-m-my ass.”

Robert stands and limps to the other side of the table. “Yes you do, Norman.” Points at the empty space on the couch. “All you smell is your own shit.”

“Robert!” Belle tries to come to her husband's defense, but the doctor stops her. Informing her that it's best for Norman and Robert to get this all out.

“If Belle isn't taking care of you,” Robert continues his raving. “You break down like you can't live without her. And when she does take care of you, you push her away. You don't know what the fuck you want!”

“I know what I want.” Norman paces back and forth, clenching his fist. “I want you out of my life!”

Robert stops pacing and faces the wall, pointing out his finger as if he's digging it into Norman's chest. “That's too bad, son, because I'm not going anywhere.”

The room falls dead silent. The only sound is Robert’s heavy breathing.

“There are some very deep rooted issues here.” The doctor breaks the silence. “Norman… Robert, why don't you both take a seat.”

Robert gimps back and slams himself down on the couch.

“The whole town has heard about the trouble that happened at the motel last week.” The doctor ties to return order to the session. “You’ve become something of a hero, Norman. Is what happened that day related to what brought you to this therapy session?”

“I’m n-n-not a hero,” Norman lowers his head. “I wasn’t th-th-there that day. Belle lied and s-s-said it was me, when it was r-r-really Papa.”

“Oh?” Hopper glances at Belle.

“I didn’t want everyone to know about Norman’s illness. It's no one’s business but our own.”

“I can understand that, Belle.” The doctor nods, jotting down more notes in his binder.

“But to answer your original question about that brought us here,” Belle blurts out. “The answer to that is yes. Those events and us being here now are related.”

“Let's talk about them.” Hopper rest his leather binder back on the table.

Belle tells the story about one of the most horrifying days of her life and of the time she and Robert spent in bed. “I'm a terrible person,” she admits, crying. “I hurt my husband. He didn't deserve that. I was being selfish.”

“Did you feel like you were cheating on Norman?” Hopper shifts in his seat.

“No, not during, only afterwards I did.” She glances at Norman, feeling shame and guilt. “I don't think it felt like cheating because that’s what I wanted at that moment and though he doesn't act like him, Robert looks like Norman. He’s a part of him and I missed Norman so much.”

Norman takes her hand and kisses it. He does have room in his heart for forgiveness.

“Something that's truly missing in your relationship is communication,” the doctor addresses. “You all need to open up to each other and to yourselves. Once that starts to happen, you can rebuild a broken home.”

“Ugh,” Robert grips, letting go of Belle’s hand. “How much longer do I have to listen to more of his pompous bullshit?”

“I know you don't agree with me, Robert, but what I’ve said is the key and it does work.”

“I know communication works,” he snarls with a twitch in his upper lip. “It’s you that's bullshitting. Sitting there like you care, analyzing all of us, writing everything down in your goddamn fucking notes. What the hell have you been writing anyways?” Robert reaches for the leather binder.

Norman jump back, pulling Robert’s arm away from the table. “Papa, please stop it,” he cries out. “The d-d-doctor isn't the problem. He's trying to h-h-help us.”

“Norman.” Belle quickly takes his hand, trying to help him calm. She hates seeing him like this. So fragmented. Both personalities battling back and forth with each other. Though she's used to seeing it, it can still be heart wrenching. Especially, with such a high level of tension between them such as this.

“Belle, Norman, Robert. I'm going to leave you all alone to talk among yourselves. Maybe some of you will feel little more free to opening up if I'm not here.” Hopper cuts his eyes at Robert. “When I return, we don't have to discuss what you've talked about together, but we will discuss how you all feel. Is everyone okay with that?”

“Yes, doctor,” Belle agrees.

Norman nods with a shrug and everyone is unsure of which personality did the action.

“Great.” Hopper stands from the chair and steps to the apartment door. “Let's go Pongo.” He puts on his coat and takes down the dog leash from the coat rack. “I'm going to take him for a walk around the block. We’ll be back in a few minutes.” He hooks the leash on Pongo's collar, takes hold of his umbrella from the umbrella stand by the door and exits the apartment.

Norman and Belle turn to each other, holding the hand of the other, gazing into the eyes of the one they love.

“I still love you, Norman. I've never stopped and I never will.”

“I love you t-t-too, Belle, and I c-c-can forgive you, both of you. I n-n-never said that I couldn't. It's just g-g-going to take some time.”

“I understand that, Sweetie. I don't want to lose you. I care too much about you.” She takes a ruffled breath and breathes out. “I care about both of you.”

Norman hand falls from her palm. Did he just hear her correctly?

“I care about both of you, Norman.” She admits again. Finally feeling the freedom to say it. “Robert is a part of you and I care about him too.”

Norman can physically feel his heart breaking once again. When will it ever end. “D-d-do you love him?”

“I… Umm…” She shakes her head. “Not at this moment.” But she thinks that’s a possibility, given more time. “I only love you. I only love you, Norman.”

Norman closes his eyes tightly and turns his body away from Belle. “W-w-wait.” He tries to piece together broken memories in his mind. “W-w-wait… None of this m-m-makes sense.”

“What doesn't make sense?”

“You've… You’ve sp-spent a lot more time with Papa, h-h-haven't you?” He questions, realizing her lies are greater. “If you c-c-care about him, then you've h-h-had a lot more time together th-th-than I know about.” Norman gasps with his hand over his lips. “Before Neal showed up.”

Belle gapes at her husband, breathless. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready for this secret.

“I kept h-h-having blackouts.” He turns to Belle with his face pale with panic. “You've b-b-been lying to me a lot longer than I th-th-thought.” He scoots away from her, body trembling. “What have you been d-d-doing together?” His voice wobbles as his eyes burn with tears that won't fall.

“Tell him the truth, Belle,” Robert intervenes.

Norman quickly turns his head to the right. “You shut up!”, he barks.

“Norman... Norman look at me,” she begs of him.

He turns back to her.

“I don't know much longer the doctor will be gone,” she hastily explains. She must do this now. There's no other place, no other time. “But I'm going to quickly tell you the truth.”

“I don't want you to tell me anything but.” He gives her all of his attention, nothing could tear him away from her.

“Baelee was almost kidnapped,” she promptly divulges.

“I know that.”

“Not by the Mendel's. Before Neal came there was a woman who stayed in the motel by the name of Cora. She tried to take Baelee and I killed her to stop her.”

“What else?”, he grunts in a tone reminiscent of Robert’s voice.

“What?” She isn’t quite used to this level of aggression. Not from Norman, anyway.

“I know there's more. Tell me,” Norman demands, needing to hear everything.

“Okay,” she exclaims, throwing her hands in the air. “Robert got rid of the body and all the evidence, then we made a deal. If I allowed him to be out for a few days, he wouldn't tell you what I've done. That’s why you lost the time that you did and I lied to you. Again.”

He jumps up from the couch, pacing around the coffee table, taking in everything she’s said. “This… this… this is all my fault.” He pants, unable to take a proper breath. Heart thumping a billion beats a minute. Room darkening around him. “I've… I've…. I’ve ruined your life. I've turned you into a killer.”

“Norman, please calm down.” She hasn’t see him like this since their first year living together. “You're scaring me.”

“You have… You have to stay away from me. I need help. I've ruined your life and I need fucking help,” he rambles to himself and suddenly pauses, staring at Belle as if he's looking through her.

Belle sits at the edge of her seat, unsure of what to do.

Movement abruptly comes back to Norman and he storms down the hall to retrieve his daughter from the doctor’s bedroom. When he returns with the sleeping child in his arms, Dr. Hopper enters the apartment.

“Is everything alright, Norman?” Hopper unhooks Pongo’s leash.

“Yes. Everything is f-f-fine, but this session is over.”

“It doesn't have to be over.”The doctor tries to get him to stay. He knows there more for them to talk about.

“I know that, b-b-but it is.” He holds the child tightly against his chest. No one is taking her from his arms, even if they tried to kill him. “I'm ch-ch-checking myself into the hospital on Monday.”

“What?” Belle shrieks and hops up from her seat. She can't believe what he said.

“Norman are sure about this?” Hopper rest his right hand on Norman's shoulder.

He cuts his eyes at Belle and nods. “Yes, more th-th-than anything. Belle and I can’t do this any-anymore. I need to be a more b-b-balanced person for my daughter… and my wife.”

“Alright, Norman.” Hopper looks him square in the eye, assuring him that he’s making the right decision. “I was actually going to suggest that you’d go.”

“Good.” Norman leave the apartment with his daughter resting on his chest.

Belle rushes after her husband, but the doctor step in her way.

“We can still talk, Belle.”

“No. It's okay.” She wipes her tears. “I… I need to get them home. Norman still doesn't drive.”

“You know you can still talk to me. Call me… Call me if you need anything. Norman doesn’t have to know.” He step to the left, clearing the door for her. “Everything's going to be alright. It's going to take some time, but it will.”

“Thank you, doctor.” She shuffles to the door, then turns back to Dr. Hopper. “I know why he's checking himself in on Monday… He wants to spend the rest of this week with his daughter.”

**\-----**

The drive home is a long and hard one for the Gold’s. Belle tells Norman more details about the day she killed Cora. How Robert was pretending to be him and how it was their fault Cora got a hold of the child. Belle being blind to telling the difference between Robert and Norman was a catalyst in the whole startling event, and also Robert’s loneliness blinding him from seeing what kind of monster Cora truly was.

All of this new information only angers Norman more and assures him in his decision to checking in to the mental hospital. “You know, Belle?” Norman makes his only comment during the drive home. “I should b-b-blame you for that, but I'm not. Everything th-th-that has happened is all m-m-my fault.”

 

##  *********

 

The mood in the Gold manor is an uneasy one. Almost no words have been exchanged between the couple since returning home and both of them are completely content with that. They really need some time apart.

Norman takes care of Baelee, absorbing every second he has left with her. Before he has to leave her once again.

Belle buries herself into a book. Since Norman is looking after the baby for the night, she doesn't want to be in reality.

After resting the baby girl peacefully down in her nursery, Norman exits from the kitchen with a fresh bottle to last Baelee for the night. “Goodnight, Belle,” Norman mumbles, walking pass his wife lounging on the living room couch, with her face deep in a book.

“Goodnight, Norman.” She looks up and he's already standing at the staircase.

“Please d-d-don't sleep down here.”

“I won't, Sweetie.”

“Thank you.” He slowly climbs the stairs and heads straight to bed.

**\-----**

Twenty minutes later, Norman makes his way down the stairs again, only this time he's limping.

Robert Gold stand by the arm of the couch and gains Belle attention from her book. “Sweetheart?” He wiggles her foot.

“What?” She slams the book shut. She knows it's Robert .

“I need to talk to you,” he says softly.

“You should have talked at the session.”

“I… I couldn't, not in front of that horse's ass of a doctor.”

“Yes you could and you did.” She sits up. “You talked a lot. Nothing you said was helpful, but you talked.”

“Belle, I'm serious.”

“The session was serious too, but you turned it into a joke and bad mouthed Norman.”

“Please…” He pleads to her in a tone that's reminiscent of Norman’s voice.

Belle can see the tears building in his eyes and she crosses her legs, making room for him on the couch.

“Thank you.” He sits next to her.

“What is it?”

“I need to tell you something that I've never told anyone.” A tear falls from his cheek. “I couldn’t say at the session, I couldn't say it in front of Norman, but I… I have to say it.”

“What is it?”, she repeats.

“Norman doesn't know what happened to Malcolm, because I never told him. He's knows something, but…” He licks his lips. “But not the truth. He thinks Malcolm just left him, but he didn't.”

“What? Is he still alive or something?... He can't come back here. Norman can never see him.”

“Malcolm never left.”

“What?” She shakes her head. “Quite being so damn cryptic and tell me what’s going on!”

“Norman killed him and I… I-I-I wasn't there to stop him.” Memory's of the that day flash through Robert's mind like a movie. He can almost feel the blood from the clean up sticking to hind hands. “He was just a little boy, Belle.” His body shivers. “And he couldn't take what Malcolm was doing to him anymore. He shut off… And… And he… He poisoned him.”

Belle looks at Robert with a vacant stare, haven't a clue if he's telling the truth.  “You’re lying,” she belts out. Norman can never do such a thing.

“Does it look like I'm lying? Do you ever see me cry when I lie?” Robert slams his fist in the couch cushion. “I couldn't protect Norman and I failed him. I couldn’t get him out of this house and away from Malcolm like I promised him I would.” Robert buries his head in his hands. “I’ve been holding all of this inside for years.”

Her mind tries to soak in everything he's confessing and it all seems too far fetched for her. Having never seen Robert cry, Belle is a little distracted by it, she wants to wipe away his tears. “What did mean by he never left?”

He lifts his head, drying his eyes with his hands. That sense of failure feels like it's happening all over again. “After Malcolm ingested a good amount of rat poisoning and a whack to the back of the head from a cast iron skillet, by Norman, I woke up and found him laying in his own vomit and piss. I had to get rid of him, so I did.”

“You're lying.” She still can't bring herself to believe it.

He quickly stand up and grabs her arm, pulling her out of the couch.

“What are you doing?” She snatches her arm away.

“I'm going to show you where I put him and then you'll believe me.” He takes her arm again and drags her to the cellar. “He used to keep us both locked down here. The longest was two weeks. Norman and I know every inch of these walls and floors. And I knew exactly where to put that child beating bastard.” He opens the cellar door and limps directly to the spot where he buried the body under the stone floors. “He's right here. That son of a bitch is right where we stand.”

Belle eyes grow wide. “Oh my god!” She stumbles back and catches herself from tripping over a loose stone. “You're telling the truth?”

“Yes, Belle.”

“Norman? Norman! Oh my god!” She turns away from Robert, face still painted in shock.

“Both of our lives changed that day, Belle,” Robert sobs. Standing along, shoulders slumped forward, eyes burning red with tears. “I had to take care of Norman and I didn't know what I was doing. I still don't know what I'm doing.”

She circles back to him and wraps her arm around him tightly. “Oh, Robert.” She could have never guessed that this is what happened.

“I ended up ruining Norman’s life,” he whimpers in the side of her neck. “He was such a sweet little boy and I wanted him to stay that way. I kept him as a child, when he should have became a man.”

“You were just a child too and you’re just as much of a victim of Malcolm as Norman is.”

“I am?”

“Yes.” Her arms squeezed around him. “He hurt you too.”

They collapse to their knees without letting each other go and they hold one another. Just feeling their bodies pressed against each other, is all they need in this moment.

“Now I'm scared, Belle,” Robert admits. “We’re going to the hospital and I don't know what’s going to happen to us… To me… They're going to try to get rid of me somehow and I don't want to go.”

Belle wipes away his tears with her thumb.

“I love you, Belle. I know you don't love me, but I love you.”

She strokes the lock of hair out of his face. “I know you do.”

“You didn't tell Norman that I loved you.”

“No… I couldn't. That's… That's just between us. For now.”

“Thank you, Sweetheart.” He nuzzles back into her warm neck.

Belle strokes his hair as Robert begin to pepper sweet kisses on her silky skin. “Don't,” she stops him.

He immediately lifts his head. “I'm sorry. I just missed the way you taste.”

She licks her lips, missing his taste and Norman’s as well. She slowly caresses her dainty finger over his bottom lip. It's incredibly smooth. “We… We can't.” Her heart flutters rapidly. Can’t isn't what she really wanted to say.

“I know that, Sweetheart.”

Belle cups his cheek, feeling his stubble grazing across the palm of her hand. Then she places a sudden kiss on Robert’s lips, having lost the will to hold it back.

Robert breathes in through his nose, savoring her taste. He thought this kiss would never happen.

Belle’s hands falls to his lap, her fingers fumble to untie the drawstring of his pajama pants and slips her hand in them. “I need you feel you inside me,” she moan upon his lips, but her mind is asking,  _what is she doing?_

“I'm not ready yet.” 

“I don't care.” She pulls him down on top of her by the collar of his button down pajama shirt as she lays on her back on the cold cellar floor. Her pussy starts to gush in her purple striped panties, as she lifts her black silk nightgown just below her breast.

Robert pulls his flaccid cock out over the cotton pants and push her panties to the right side, stroking himself a few times just before pushing in the tip of his manhood.

“Ahh,” she breathes, arching her back.

He lunges against her firmly as his cock stiffens inside her.

“Ah, ah, ah…” She moans with each buck of his hips. Belle grips onto his shoulders with both hands, digging her nails into his flesh and wraps her legs around him. “Fuck!” His cock grows thicker in her warm drenched pussy. The sensation is unlike anything she's ever felt. Intoxicating.

He grunts animalistically with his eyes shut tightly and hits his open palm on the stone floor, letting out anger and frustration. “Uhh… Fuck!” Slams his body against her harder.

Belle can feel herself about to cum, but everything about this situation is all wrong. “Sto… Ah… Ahh!!” Her body quakes with the waves of her orgasm.

Robert watches as she rides on the cloud of orgasmic bliss and his full erection fills her up with a load of his seed. Cumming a lot harder and earlier than he had hoped. It all just ended too quickly.

“Get off of me,” she orders, breathing heavily.

These are not the words he expected to hear.

“Get off of me.” She pushes his shoulders and he sits up, confused.

He thought this was what they both wanted. Again.

“This was wrong.” She picks herself up from the floor, feeling almost sick. She just learned of a body in this room. “This was so fucking wrong!”

“Belle?” He reaches out for her.

“No.” She shakes her head, backing up to the door. “You stay away from me,” she bellows. “Both of you… We can't do this…” Pants between words. “We can't do this until all of our minds are right.” She hysterically dashes up the stairs. 


End file.
